Shelby Edwards
@sedwards.bsky.social
Writer poet with a day job | Senior senior risk manager with a knack for things going sideways | Army Maj (Ret). | Plant geek | Northwesterner | @STEWest at that other place
Went to my shelves…There’s Snyder’s “On Tyranny”, Helen Hanff’s wonderful “84, Charing Cross Road”, “Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions” from Valeria Luiselli, and older and the shortest, “Here Is New York” from E.B. White, which still has my boarding pass from a visit 20 years ago.
November 14, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Went to my shelves…There’s Snyder’s “On Tyranny”, Helen Hanff’s wonderful “84, Charing Cross Road”, “Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions” from Valeria Luiselli, and older and the shortest, “Here Is New York” from E.B. White, which still has my boarding pass from a visit 20 years ago.
Fancy book mail today, the UK edition (because it has a far better cover).
November 6, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Fancy book mail today, the UK edition (because it has a far better cover).
Alyssa, look what they've done...
October 20, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Alyssa, look what they've done...
Need a chaser for #NoKings Day? Elections are happening across the country, almost all with local races and initiatives that make a real difference. Filled out my ballot today, everything from school board races to our local pool and cemetery commissions (yes, it’s a thing).
October 18, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Need a chaser for #NoKings Day? Elections are happening across the country, almost all with local races and initiatives that make a real difference. Filled out my ballot today, everything from school board races to our local pool and cemetery commissions (yes, it’s a thing).
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again."
Thomas Paine in his radical pamphlet "Common Sense", January 1776.
Thomas Paine in his radical pamphlet "Common Sense", January 1776.
October 18, 2025 at 6:08 PM
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again."
Thomas Paine in his radical pamphlet "Common Sense", January 1776.
Thomas Paine in his radical pamphlet "Common Sense", January 1776.
It’s larch season in the Cascades. Rereading “The Larch: A Love Story” originally published in the Orion September/October 2012 edition.
October 12, 2025 at 9:33 PM
It’s larch season in the Cascades. Rereading “The Larch: A Love Story” originally published in the Orion September/October 2012 edition.
Looks like rain is well and truly back. The slugs will be happy.
September 26, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Looks like rain is well and truly back. The slugs will be happy.
Wondering again and not for the first time--where's the line? This mentally failing old man, compromised by Russia is now trying to take us back to Afghanistan and threatening war (again), anyone on the right going to say no? Either over principles, national security interest, or cost?
September 20, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Wondering again and not for the first time--where's the line? This mentally failing old man, compromised by Russia is now trying to take us back to Afghanistan and threatening war (again), anyone on the right going to say no? Either over principles, national security interest, or cost?
It’s as good as everyone says it is. What an amazing read, masterful.
September 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
It’s as good as everyone says it is. What an amazing read, masterful.
Going to keep celebrating the good things—like pub day! One of my poems found a home here with Dead Reckoning Collective’s poet warrior anthology “So Long”. It’s the only poem in my stack that’s centered my military service. Support small pubs. Do your art (it doesn’t have to be Pulitzer worthy).
September 18, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Going to keep celebrating the good things—like pub day! One of my poems found a home here with Dead Reckoning Collective’s poet warrior anthology “So Long”. It’s the only poem in my stack that’s centered my military service. Support small pubs. Do your art (it doesn’t have to be Pulitzer worthy).
Finished “This Is Happiness” by Niall Williams this morning. It’s a quiet gem of a story set in a small Irish village on the edge of great change. It’s a love story in the end.
September 9, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Finished “This Is Happiness” by Niall Williams this morning. It’s a quiet gem of a story set in a small Irish village on the edge of great change. It’s a love story in the end.
As if paving over the rose garden, turning the Oval into a gilded throne room, and implanting two giant car-dealer flag poles on the lawn wasn't enough.
It's gross and spending this money for a tyrant while stripping food and health care from the needy...it's obscene.
How do we end this?
It's gross and spending this money for a tyrant while stripping food and health care from the needy...it's obscene.
How do we end this?
August 1, 2025 at 12:11 AM
As if paving over the rose garden, turning the Oval into a gilded throne room, and implanting two giant car-dealer flag poles on the lawn wasn't enough.
It's gross and spending this money for a tyrant while stripping food and health care from the needy...it's obscene.
How do we end this?
It's gross and spending this money for a tyrant while stripping food and health care from the needy...it's obscene.
How do we end this?
Achieved my no big plans Friday. Drove down island to a little organization focused on restoring Whidbey's native prairies for native plants for my little home project. Brought home a tough bunch grass called Roemer's Fescue and Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum (you can eat them like chives).
June 20, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Achieved my no big plans Friday. Drove down island to a little organization focused on restoring Whidbey's native prairies for native plants for my little home project. Brought home a tough bunch grass called Roemer's Fescue and Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum (you can eat them like chives).
For if you are, for when you are, tired. "For Those Who Stand Against Tyrants" from poet Joseph Fasano.
June 14, 2025 at 3:38 PM
For if you are, for when you are, tired. "For Those Who Stand Against Tyrants" from poet Joseph Fasano.
From Instagram this morning and poet Diane di Prima…
Empire
is its own
undoing
Empire
is its own
undoing
June 8, 2025 at 6:56 PM
From Instagram this morning and poet Diane di Prima…
Empire
is its own
undoing
Empire
is its own
undoing
The poem in hand practice from this morning (via @maureenlangloss.bsky.social) With the garden full of birds and the feel of summer settling in, I thought of this poem…the image of the bird braiding earth and sky, and us, with song. Have a Good Friday everyone, off to plant things.
June 6, 2025 at 4:42 PM
The poem in hand practice from this morning (via @maureenlangloss.bsky.social) With the garden full of birds and the feel of summer settling in, I thought of this poem…the image of the bird braiding earth and sky, and us, with song. Have a Good Friday everyone, off to plant things.
Wanna see what a very small oak looks like? Planted a baby dwarf blue tanoak today, and a dogwood. It's native to dry country in southern Oregon, we'll see how it does.
June 6, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Wanna see what a very small oak looks like? Planted a baby dwarf blue tanoak today, and a dogwood. It's native to dry country in southern Oregon, we'll see how it does.
Like I could do this all day, and proportionally carry more weight, but I also had to be smarter about certain things. Brute force no, targeted force with speed, balance, yes. Also, slow and long and I lose weight easily and fast. Stop moving or do just short intensive exercise, no hope.
May 31, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Like I could do this all day, and proportionally carry more weight, but I also had to be smarter about certain things. Brute force no, targeted force with speed, balance, yes. Also, slow and long and I lose weight easily and fast. Stop moving or do just short intensive exercise, no hope.
Feeling very smug about getting a flower bed all planted up between rain showers. The yard and garden are a long, long way from where I want them to be, but there's progress. First peony is out, an end of last season, clearance rack ITOH foundling, putting on a show.
May 17, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Feeling very smug about getting a flower bed all planted up between rain showers. The yard and garden are a long, long way from where I want them to be, but there's progress. First peony is out, an end of last season, clearance rack ITOH foundling, putting on a show.
I never want little play action figures, but I want one of these, for my writing desk.
May 16, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I never want little play action figures, but I want one of these, for my writing desk.
Just brought this home last month, it’s on top of the TBR pile. Much congratulations to the great Perceval Everett on his Pulitzer today.
May 5, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Just brought this home last month, it’s on top of the TBR pile. Much congratulations to the great Perceval Everett on his Pulitzer today.
And so it begins, the search for the perfect charcoal gray. I want a job naming paint colors.
April 24, 2025 at 5:48 PM
And so it begins, the search for the perfect charcoal gray. I want a job naming paint colors.
Planted things. Between work I go outside, tend to the garden. Today it was getting another veg bed fluffed, composted, and seeded. Lots of things I hate buying in the grocery (or can't find). Strawberries and blueberries are both setting, looks like a good year for the cherry tree. Small things.
April 18, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Planted things. Between work I go outside, tend to the garden. Today it was getting another veg bed fluffed, composted, and seeded. Lots of things I hate buying in the grocery (or can't find). Strawberries and blueberries are both setting, looks like a good year for the cherry tree. Small things.